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Marquette professor named Wisconsin Professor of the Year

Dr. Kristina Ropella honored for her impact on students in 17 years as a biomedical engineering professor

Dr. Kristina Ropella, chair of the biomedical engineering department in Marquette’s College of Engineering, has been named the Wisconsin Professor of the Year as part of the U.S. Professors of the Year program. Sponsored by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and administered by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the awards recognize professors for their influence on teaching and their outstanding commitment to teaching undergraduate students.

This is the second consecutive honor for a Marquette professor.  Last year, Dr. Don Neumann, professor of physical therapy at Marquette, was named the Wisconsin professor of the year.

“I am ecstatic to receive this honor,” Ropella said.  “I am grateful to have touched the lives of many students who have gone forward to lead companies, treat patients, innovate new medical technologies, influence government funding, communicate discoveries to the public, teach the next generation of engineers and serve their communities.”

Ropella has been a professor in the Marquette College of Engineering for 17 years and chair of the biomedical department since 2004.  While she works with students of all levels, Ropella feels a special sense of duty to her undergraduate students. “Even as department chair, I continue to teach freshman and sophomore courses so that I am able to welcome and engage every one of the 75-85 students annually entering our learning system,” she said.  Ropella estimates that in her time at Marquette, she has taught nearly 1,000 students.

Drawing from her industry experience prior to higher education, Ropella has forged many partnerships between industry and undergraduate students, something she feels is critical to undergraduate education.  According to Ropella, industry partners have recognized the difference they have made in students’ preparation for life beyond the classroom and today 23 companies partner with Marquette’s biomedical engineering educational programs.

In addition to her roles as chair and professor, Ropella is part of a number of research teams. Her research focuses are signal processing, bio computing, electrophysiology and functional imaging.  She has produced 120 refereed publications and received over $3 million in external funding for her research and educational initiatives.  Ropella also directs the joint Ph.D. program in functional imaging for Marquette and the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Ropella has been honored three times by Marquette for teaching excellence.  She graduated summa cum laude from Marquette in 1985 and earned her masters and doctoral degrees at Northwestern University.

The U.S. Professors of the Year program salutes the most outstanding undergraduate instructors in the country—those who excel as teachers and influence the lives and careers of their students. It is recognized as one of the most prestigious awards honoring professors.  This year, there are winners in 40 states and the District of Columbia, chosen from more than 300 top professors throughout the country. CASE assembled two preliminary panels of judges to select finalists.

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